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Furacão

GNS SCIENCE
The Hikurangi Project is a multinational science investigation of the subduction zone beneath New Zealand's North Island. Specially designed pressure sensors are in place to detect uplift or subsidence of the sea floor.
It's not a matter ofif the Hikurangi subduction zone will go, it's when - and that's what Kiwi scientists are preparing for.

Using a credible magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami scenario, five Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) groups from across the North Island are working together on the plan.

Natasha Goldring, who is leading the project, said a response plan was vital in making sure people were ready and resilient for a future earthquake and tsunami event.

"The scenario we are using to support the development of this response plan is a very realistic example of what we could face in our lifetime, or that of our children and grandchildren."

Although the project is being driven by Civil Defence groups, people still needed to make sure they understand the risks they face and take the necessary steps to prepare themselves, Goldring said.

"Communities are at the centre of all response planning, and we want this project to be a collaborative effort. We are all responsible for ourselves and our families - we are all part of Civil Defence in New Zealand."

The project's launch is in response to research over the past few years which suggests the likelihood of a rupture may be higher than initially understood.

INGOMAR200/SUPPLIED
An earthquake from the Hikurangi subduction zone could devastate the east coast of NZ with a tsunami. This graphic illustrating a projected tsunami.
GNS scientist, Dr Laura Wallace, said this came down to a combination of factors; including new insights from the Kaikōura earthquakes, evidence of pressure building on the fault, and geological evidence of prehistoric earthquakes on the subduction zone.

"A subduction zone is where one tectonic plate subducts (dives) underneath another - the boundary between these two plates forms a large fault.

"This one in particular runs offshore from the east of Gisborne down to the top of the South Island and poses a significant earthquake and tsunami risk to the entire east coast of New Zealand."